Grave-covering device



Dec. 1924- 1,520,802

R. A. BRECKENRIDGE GRAVE COVERING DEVICE Filed Dec. 7, 1923 Inventor.

li W5 7 Patented Dec. 30, l24.

FFIQ ROBERT A. BRECKENRIDGE, .OF OWEN SOUND, ONTARIO, CANADA.

enavn-covnnrnc navrcn.

Application filed December To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT A. BRECKEN- RIDGE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of the city of Owen Sound, county of Grey, Province of Ontario. in the Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Grave-Covering Device, as described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, that form part of the same.

The principal objects of this invention are to preserve the solemnity of burial services by eliminating the necessity for the presence of workmen while the service is being conducted and to devise a simple means for automatically moving a covering screen over the grave opening while the casket is being lowered.

The principal feature of the invention consists in the combination with an automatic lowering device, of a covering screen adapted to be moved over the lowering device, means being connected with the lowering device for moving the screen simultaneously with the lowering of the casket and means being provided for stopping the movement of the screen automaticallv.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the application of my invention, the screen being arranged in the outward position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional detail of the carriage and run-way for supporting the screen.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of the operating mechanism for moving and stopping the movement of the screen.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the moving and stopping mechanism.

The present invention is applied to any of the well-known types of automatic casket lowering devices in which the casket is lowered upon straps 1 wound upon the rotatable side bars 2 of the structure.

My improvement consists in the arrangement of a pair of guide bars 3 connected at one end by a cross bar a which is supported upon suitable legs 5 at one side of the grave opening. The other ends of the guide bars 3 extend over the longitudinal bars 2 of the lowering device and the ends are secured to the sleeve members 6. which are loosely mounted upon the said side bars.

The guide bars 3 are preferably of T- 7, was. Sari-a1 n 679,190.

shaped section and the web 7 thereof is inserted between the lugs 8 on the sleeve 6, being secured by a'spring'pin 9 which slips through a suitable hole in the web. The top surface of the sleeve 6 is preferably flat to form a rest for the web of the side bar.

A bearing sleeve 10 is slipped on to the rotatable side bar 2 of the lowering device and forms a bearing support for the sleeve 6, it being secured to the side bar A flanged drum 11 is rotatably mounted upon the sleeve 10 and at one side is provided with the-ratchet teeth 12 which engage corresponding ratchet teeth on a ring 13 secured to the sleeve 10 so thatupon the rotation of the bar 2 through the lowering of the casket, the ring 13 is rotated and rotates the flanged drum, the drum being held inoperative contact with the toothed ring by a coiled spring 14 arranged between the drum and a collar 15 secured to the bar 2.

Asuitable cable 16 is connected to the drum and extends alongside the guide bars 3 and is connected to a carriage '17 mounted upon the head of the guide bars 3, said carriage being supported upon aroller 18.

A suitable cover 19 to cover the grave opening is made in the form of a screen frame on which flowers may be placed and these rest upon the carriages 17 supported on'the guide bars and upon the turning of the drums and the consequent winding up of the cables the carriages are drawn over the lowering device and carry the covering device with them.

A ring 20 encircles the ring 13 and the ratchet teeth of the drum and is provided with a lever extension 21 which is adapted to be engaged by a projecting lug 22 on the carriage 17. The ring is formed with bevelled teeth 23 which normally fit into correspondingly bevelled notches 2% of the sleeve 6. The notches and bevelled surfaces are preferably arranged diametrically opposite and in line with the lever 21.

The engagement of the lever 21 by the carriage rotates the ring 20 and the teeth 23 riding upon the bevelled contact surfaces pushes the drum 11 away from the engaging ratchet ring until the ratchet teeth of the drum disengage. The motion of the drum in pulling the cover member 19 is thus arrested automatically when the said cover extends over the grave openin A device such as described is extremely simple. It can be readily slipped on to any standard lowering device and it is very readily assembled and is placed in position along with the lowering device prior to the arrival of a burial party and as the flowers usually go in advance of the party they can be all arranged upon the screen and the service may be conducted by the funeral director without the assistance of laborers Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. In a grave'covering device, the combination with an automatic lowering device and guides extending to one side thereof, of a cover frame arranged upon said guides, means operated by the lowering device for drawin the cover frame over the grave, and means ror automatically arresting the movement of said covering device irrespective of the movement of the lowering device.

2. In a grave covering device, the combination with an automatic casket lowering device-and guide bars extending over the lowering device to one side of the grave opening, a cover movably supported upon said guides, cables connected to said cover, drums connected to said cables and operatively connected with the lowering device, and disengaging clutches co-operative with said drums and adanted to be operated to release the drums by engagement with said 3. In a grave covering device, the combination with a lowering dev1ce havlng rotat able side bars, 0t drums loosely mounted on one of said side bars, members rotatable with said side bars adapted to engage said drums to rotate same, means for moving said drums out of'engaging contact with said rotated members, cables secured. to said drums, guides extending over the lowering devices, and a cover supported by said guides and connected to said cables and adapted to actuate said disengaging members.

4. In a grave covering device, the combination with a lowering device having rotatable side bars, of sleeves loosely mounted on said side bars, guides detachably secured to said sleeves, drums loosely mounted on said bars, means secured to said bars for rotating said drums, means for disconnecting said drums from said rotatable means, a cover mounted on said guides, and cables connected to said cover and extending around said drums.

.5. In a grave covering device, the combination with a lowering device having rotatable side bars, of guides supported above said side bars, of roller carriages mounted on said guides, cables connected to said carriages, drums secured to said cables and operated by the side bars of the lowering device, means for disconnecting said drums from rotative engagement with said side bars adapted to be operated by said carriages, and a cover adapted to be supported by said carriages and guides.

ROBERT A. BRECKENRIDGE. 

